GRACoL Defines Commercial Printing Characterization Data

GRACoL Defines Commercial Printing Characterization Data

ALEXANDRIA, VA (August 8, 2002) - GRACoL(r) (General Requirements for Application in Commercial Offset Lithography), a publication initiative of IDEAlliance, announced today that an agreement with CGATS, (Committee on Graphic Arts Technical Standards), has been reached to finalize color aims for commercial offset printing. These aims will take the form of color characterization data relating all input combinations of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black dot percentages to output CIELab colors that a "standard commercial press" should produce for each of these sets of input values. This follows the successful format developed by SWOP (Specifications for Web Offset Publications) and CGATS for printing, certifying and measuring publication press sheets on grade 5 papers as documented in CGATS Technical Report TR 001.

"Up till now, GRACoL has limited its effort to publishing a very successful process control publication for commercial printers and their customers," said David Steinhardt, CEO of IDEAlliance. "This included recommendations for density, line screen ruling, tone value increase /dot gain, total area coverage and print contrast for printing on various types of paper. Over the last six years, however, the public has increasingly demanded that these become fully defined printing conditions like CGATS TR 001 for SWOP." GRACoL has begun this process by printing and certifying samples printed on grade 1 paper by a high end commercial sheet fed press at LAgraphico in Burbank, CA, and submitting them to CGATS for measurement. In a parallel development the GRACoL committee has also been involved with printing and certifying samples printed on grade 3 paper by a commercial web offset press at Quad/Graphics in Wisconsin and submitting them to CGATS.

The standards community has generally agreed that eventually there will be a family of 5-8 standard characterization data sets representing all major differentiable printing applications from high end commercial printing to newsprint, based on paper types," said David McDowell of CGATS. These data sets will be documented in the form of CGATS Technical Reports. "These data sets will be broadly representative, and intermediate printing types, such as commercial printing on grade 2 paper which has the same GRACoL aim points as grade 1, may be considered to be variants of the basic standards and more easily handled by using color management to transform data from one of the standard data sets."

Results from both printings have been measured and analyzed by CGATS and reviewed by the GRACoL Committee. "GRACoL has agreed that they represent their intended printing conditions," said David Hultin, IDEAlliance Project Director of GRACoL. "But, as has been learned from TR 001, we will not base an industry standard on a solitary printing." Instead GRACoL and CGATS plan to conduct reproducibility tests, collect samples of press bars printed to GRACoL aim points, and verify that the printing inks meet the appropriate parts of ISO 2846.

The goal is to have drafts for CGATS technical reports TR 003 and TR 004 by the next CGATS meeting in October. "If successful, we would expect to be able to submit the Technical Reports for ANSI public review in early 2003," said Mary Abbott of CGATS. "The outline of the reports include: Scope and applicability, References, Terms and Definitions, Printing condition aims, Summary of actual test conditions, Evaluation of test conditions achieved vs. aims, Report of endorsing organization, CGATS qualifications, Concerns, Endorsements and Characterization data (CIELAB vs. CMYK), plus technical Annexes."

Printers and industry vendors, who wish to learn more about the transforms can contact David Hultin at IDEAlliance for more information. At the present time, the work is in the development stage, and it is assumed that there will be slight modifications to the data before it is formalized by CGATS.

"Everyone involved in the process believes that this is the most important development for the future of Commercial Offset Printing," said Larry Warter of Fuji Photo Film, o-chair of the GRACoL Press Run Committee. "A unified transmissible color target for printing and proofing coupled to the recent advances in color management from ICC will give our industry the quality, consistency and speed that will be required to keep printing viable in the future."

About IDEAlliance

International Digital Enterprise Alliance is a not-for-profit membership organization. Its mission is to advance user driven, cross industry solutions for all publishing and content related processes by developing standards, fostering business alliances, and identifying best practices. IDEAlliance has been a leader in information technologies since 1966 (founded as Graphic Communications Association) having fostered the development and adoption of standards such as GRACoL, ADIS, ICE, JIFFI, mail.dat, papiNet, PRISM, PROSE XML,SPACE XML, SGML, and XML. Learn more about us at www.idealliance.org.

About CGATS

The Committee for Graphic Arts Technologies Standards was accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1989 to develop technical standards for the graphic technology industry. NPES The Association for the Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies administers all accredited standards activities in the U.S. relating to graphic technology, both technical and safety, and also administers several international standards committees.

About LAgraphico

Located in Burbank, California, LAgraphico is a high end provider of premedia and print products for the entertainment industry. With leading edge technology and a vision of excellence, LAgraphico voluntarily participates in selected industry projects to contribute to the improvement of quality and service in the graphic arts. LAgraphico has sales in excess of $20M and 140 employees. Key executives participate with other industry leaders to share and exchange knowledge for the benefit of all. Participating with IDEAlliance to establish GRACoL® print characteristics for a #1 Sheet is one of those projects. It shares the vision that TR004 will help set the stage for a more consistent look throughout the graphic community, from concept to distribution.

About Quad/Graphics

Pewaukee, WI based Quad/Graphics leads the printing industry in integrating equipment, technology and systems across all operating divisions in all plants for the purpose of reducing cycle times and improving the immediacy of print. This long-standing integration initiative includes a seamless transfer of information from publishers, catalogers and other clients directly to Quad/Graphics' facilities through the use of online, real-time information management "Smart Tools." As a result, the company, its employees and clients are better connected, significantly reducing cycle times and heightening print quality.

Quad/Graphics has a network of 16 domestic print-production facilities, as well as international partnerships in Poland, Brazil and Argentina, all connected through secured, high-speed network links. Services range from front-end design and photography through digital imaging/prepress services, printing, list management, finishing and dependable distribution. Quad/Graphics has annual sales of $1.8 billion.

Contact

David Hultin
Director, Print Initiatives
IDEAlliance
703-837-1083
dhultin@idealliance.org